Pride of the Soul
by Rorrim J. Tori
Summary: Ryuken's Story: "Why do you hate being a Quincy so much?" Uryu asked. Ryuken couldn't tell his son the truth, he wouldn't understand. He himself still hadn't come to terms with what had happened. 'Why do I hate being a Quincy? Because that's what killed her.' ((My own idea of Ryuken's backstory. Semi-AU))


Before beginning, I'd like to start this off with a sort of disclaimer. Though I am not caught up in reading the latest Bleach chapters, I have read the chapters that explain Ichigo's and Uryu's past; I had the idea for this story from before those chapters came out. This story is my _own_ idea of their parents' stories, so yes, it is AU and very different from canon.

I hope you enjoy it.

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><p><strong>Ryuken's Story<strong>

Ryuken Ishida had been a quiet kid, withdrawn and shy- never really wanting to do anything spectacular that would draw more attention onto himself. Despite that attitude, he was the top of his class.

Without the "distraction" of company, he filled his time with books and learning. This, however, made him the target of much harassment and bullying in school.

The few friends he did have made up a small- but very close-knit- group that often worked together on fun projects and read in their free time.

All in all, Ryuken had a normal childhood.

Unless you consider his odd ability to see and communicate with spirits and ghosts.

His father, Soken, a jolly and outgoing man who always looked at the brighter side of life, kept no secrets from Ryuken. So it was that, at the young age of six, Ryuken was well acquainted with words and concepts relating to the spirit world.

He learned tales of the brave Quincy archers whose goals were the extermination of all evil from the world, and who valued pride above all else.

He learned of the Shinigami and their purifying swords, blindly following the orders of their superiors; and of the soul-devouring Hollows, wanting to fill the emptiness in their hearts with their loved ones'.

He learned of the blood war between the archers and the sword-wielders; learned that his family was one of the last surviving lineage of the ancient Quincies.

He learned of his own powers: forming his spirit bow and firing arrows of blistering blue-white energy.

He learned to keep secrets.

"Dad," he asked one day, "why don't you hate the Shinigami? Why do you support their actions?"

"Son," the older man responded with a smile, "I don't expect you to understand. But neither side was justified in their reasons for fighting. No one ever is. I want you to remember that- In war, both sides are equal, no side is better or worse than the other. And never forget that each soldier is an individual; sure the group as a whole is fighting for a concept, but each individual is fighting for something personal: fighting for their homeland, fighting for the safety of their family, fighting for their life. The Shinigami are helpful; they purify what we, as Quincies, can only destroy."

The young boy nodded, drinking in his father's words of peace and harmony; and for a long time, he believed them.

Years passed, and the young boy grew to a young man in High School. His shyness had given way to a mature, cool demeanor. Being a teen meant that he was still somewhat socially awkward, but had a good group of true friends (None of them possessing any sort spiritual awareness whatsoever).

He balanced his school life with his training and eventually took on the job of helping his father eradicate Hollows in their town.

It was not so wrong to say that he enjoyed his new powers, but he in no way reveled in his Quincy strength. Every arrow he let loose from his bow hit their intended mark, usually piercing the Hollow's mask right between its eyes. He took pride in his marksmanship, but not much in the result of his deed. The Hollow would dissipate into darkness.

"_Neither side is justified in their reasons to fight- to kill. No side is better or worse than the other..."_

He couldn't deny that, though no one explicitly stated it, they were fighting a war against the Hollows.

"_Each soldier is an individual... fighting for something personal."_

The man's words echoed in his mind every time he looked at the bow. 'What am I doing?' He would think _'These Hollows were people once. They don't have to be destroyed- Shinigami can save them...'_ He brought up his bow and fired another arrow. _'Then again, they're only like this because the Shinigami didn't find the Plus Souls fast enough...'_

His mind spun as he wove in-and-out of his faith in the Quincy teachings. One thing was for certain, as High School progressed, Ryuken was having second thoughts when it came to his own powers, and the seeming hypocritical teachings of his father.

By the time he finished High School, he had basically ceased practicing the Quincy arts altogether.

He, of course, graduated at the top of his class and decided to pursue a career as a medical doctor. He was accepted readily into one of the top medical colleges of Japan.

It was there that he first encountered a Shinigami.

And it was just his luck that he turned out to be living Ryuken's dorm block.

At first, the non-practicing Quincy thought he must be mistaken when he first saw the loud, bumbling, oafish man who seemed to be more interested in studying persons of the opposite gender than books.

Ryuken, having always pictured the blade-masters to be cunning, battle-hardened soldiers, thought: _'There is no way this man could be a Shinigami.' _

And though Ryuken had not actually seen the man in his soul-form, the deep crimson of the man's spirit thread couldn't lie.

Ryuken's main worry had been that the man would cut him down as soon as he realized his Quincy lineage.

"_The Shinigami are helpful; they purify what we, as Quincies, can only destroy."_

He tried to avoid the Shinigami in disguise, but after being forced to relocate rooms (Ryuken's original roommate came in angry and drunk almost every night and he couldn't stand it for more than a few months), he found himself with the Shinigami as his new roommate.

Much to his surprise, they got along reasonably well, despite their polar opposite personalities.

Neither of them ever brought up anything about supernatural happenings.

Ryuken quickly noticed that his roommate- Isshin Kurosaki was his name- was uncannily weak when it came to spiritual pressure, even though he was most definitely a Shinigami. To add to the mystery, Isshin seemed to have the capacity to hold more power than he currently held, _a lot more_.

Whether his roommate could identify him as a Quincy was unknown to Ryuken, and he wasn't about to go and ask. But he knew he couldn't keep the secret forever.

The inevitable 'spilling-of-the-beans' happened in early spring. Isshin had come back to the dorm somewhat tipsy and uncharacteristically giddy, going on about some girl who he managed to snag a date with. Ryuken was relieved when his acquaintance passed out on the couch. (He didn't know how much longer he could stand his roommate wailing: "Oh, my beautiful Masaki has finally taken notice of my stunning charm and wit!")

Needing to clear his mind, he decided to go out on a walk in the nearby forest. As he strolled, he pulled at the Quincy Star around his wrist. It had been about a year since he had summoned his bow. His thoughts about the whole matter were still mixed.

He ran a hand through his silver-streaked hair (Isshin had told him his hair was like that because he was so stressed. Ryuken argued that it was genetics), and poured energy into the metal bracelet.

Instantly the weight shifted and a simple, white bow materialized in his hand. His fingers rested lightly on the string. Inhaling deeply, he pulled the string back and lifted the bow up at the same time. He held it there, feeling his reiatsu swirl in the air around him, the energy humming under his fingertips. The arrow tip pointed up at the moon.

'_Shoot for the moon.'_

His fingers slid quickly off the string.

The arrow flew straight at the pale circle in the sky, Ryuken watched it until he could no longer see it.

'_It's like light, it keeps going straight until it's stopped by something. It takes a while, but it will hit the it. I can hit the moon.'_ A small smile made its way onto his face at the idea of this somewhat petty accomplishment.

He fired several other arrows, finding it unusually relaxing. It brought back memories of his childhood, back when he had pride in his abilities and saw the world in black-and-white.

The steadily approaching Hollow went unnoticed by the Quincy as he fired off shot after shot at the moon. The roar of said Hollow right behind him made him halt. Ryuken instinctively spun on his heels, turning to face the snarling beast, an arrow already notched on the string, and then-

he hesitated.

The Hollow roared again.

'_This was a person at one point, just like me...'_

Its eyes narrowed.

'_I have the ability to completely destroy its existence.'_

It launched itself forward in an attack, mouth wide open.

'_But I can't justify my actions.'_

The attack and roar were cut short by a sword suddenly jutting out of the Hollow's head like a demonic unicorn horn. The glinting metal was no more than a foot from Ryuken's own chest. His heart was hammering.

The Hollow in front of him started dissolving into a calming white light, spreading out from the sword in its head.

"Hey, Ryuken. I never thought you'd be one to freeze up like that."

He looked up at the voice, and at Isshin- clothed in black. A torn, white piece of fabric fastened to his shoulder, a sword in his hand. Strength and power- unlike any Ruyken had ever felt before- flowed out from him, but even as the Shinigami smiled, the Quincy could feel the energy drop suddenly. Isshin fell forward, gasping for breath. He crawled over to where his physical form lay and returned to it, mumbling, "I can't keep doing this to myself. Sooner or later..." Isshin then looked over at his surprised roommate and smiled. "So, you're a Quincy, eh? I had my suspicions but... Well what'dya know, a Quincy and a Shinigami sharing a dorm room. If that's not irony, then I don't know what is!" He laughed loudly.

Confused (and still slightly in shock from the Hollow attack), Ryuken warily made his way over to his roommate. "What are you planning to do?"

"What am I planning to do?" Isshin raised an eyebrow questioningly, "I plan to graduate college and marry the girl of my dreams obviously."

Ryuken could only stare for a few seconds. "What? No- I mean, now that you know I'm a Quincy, what are you going to do about that?"

"Oh. That? Nothing."

"But- I mean- Aren't Shinigami and Quincies-?"

"Enemies?" His eyes flashed and, for the first time since Ryuken had known him, he looked completely serious. "I don't know. I wasn't the one who ordered the extermination of the Quincies, nor did I carry out any of the orders. I'm much too young for that. And personally, I disagree with that ruling, many of us do."

"_Each individual fights for something personal..."_

Ryuken nodded "So how old are you exactly, and what are you doing here? And most of all, what is up with your reiatsu?"

Isshin blinked at all the questions. "Well, I'm not exactly sure how old I am actually... dying and being in Soul Society kinda does that to you; but for all intents and purposes, right now, I'm twenty-two. As for the rest of your questions, come, sit." He pulled a cigarette out of his pocket and motioned for Ryuken to sit next to him, then started to explain his story. (It is an interesting tale, though it's a story for another time.)

In return, Ryuken told Isshin about his own life: about his father, and growing up as a Quincy.

The duo walked back to their dorm room, Isshin seemed to have slipped back into his obnoxious (slightly-drunken) self.

"You should get a girlfriend, it might help you relax. You're so stressed that you already have gray hairs."

"I'm fine by myself. and it's genetic"

"I know! Ryuk~ you should become a Shinigami!"

"No. And don't call me that."

Thus, the two acquaintances became two unlikely friends.

The years drew on and both Isshin and Ryuken were nearing the end of their studies. The Quincy thought less about Hollows and Spirit Bows, and the Shinigami's powers slowly depleted

Isshin became engaged to Masaki, and Ryuken met a lovely girl named Yuka (It was actually Isshin that set them up, but Ryuken didn't like to admit it.)

To him, she was perfect: beautiful and quiet, slightly on the shy side (just like himself). And then she would smile at him, and he would see the true wonder in her eyes that she was too hesitant to show anyone else. She was virtually blind and deaf when it came to spirits, but that made her all the more precious to him. He loved her, and she loved him back.

It was not a big surprise to anyone when news of their engagement came.

They married after they graduated. It was a small wedding, attended by close friends and family. Isshin obviously was there, along with his his own newlywed wife.

As Ryuken went on to work on his postgraduate studies, and Isshin went to study on his own the two friends lost contact for a while; though they still lived and worked in the same small town.

More years passed and Ryuken eventually got his full doctorat and practicing license. Almost immediately afterwards, he was given a job at Karakura General Hospital. Despite the celebrations, the Ishidas were noticing a gap.

_Something_ seemed to be missing from their lives.

"Don't worry..." He softly kissed Yuka's lips, "You're going to be a great mother."

They both smiled.

Ryuken had never known his mother; she had died in childbirth. He sometimes felt like the thought should make him feel sad in some way, but he had never met her and it was hard to miss something that he had never known was there in the first place. Nevertheless he was determined that his child would have a beautiful mother in their beautiful family.

His hopes were actually that his child would take more after Yuka than him. He did not care about protecting the Quincy bloodline, he just wanted his family to be safe and happy.

It was a warm day in early July when Ryuken received an urgent call from the hospital. He was needed in the Maternity ward.

Isshin was waiting for him outside door 115, managing to look both excitedly overjoyed and nauseatingly worried.

The delivery went along without a problem, and Masaki was soon recovering in bed, holding a small baby boy with a shockingly orange tuft of hair. Isshin lent over and kissed his wife.

"Have you decided on a name yet?" Ryuken asked. The entire affair was making him all the more enthusiastic (and all the more anxious) about his own wife and coming child.

Masaki and Isshin looked at each other, then down at the baby sleeping in her arms.

"Ichigo." Her voice was soft and soothing. Motherly.

Ryuken nodded, and congratulated his friends. He looked at the infant, noting amusedly his potential. _'Such power in such a being so young. Isshin, you're kid is going to be a handful.'_ It wasn't too bizarre, after all Isshin was an ex-Shinigami, and Masaki had more than enough spiritual powers to easily converse and interact with spirits.

Returning home to his own wife, Ryuken told Yuka the news.

Roughly five months later, In November, Ryuken was back in the Maternity ward of the hospital; only this time he was sitting beside the bed, holding his wife's hand and offering encouragement.

They named their son Uryu.

It was evident early on that his son was born a Quincy. And though he had hoped against it, Ryuken felt a small spark of pride at the idea.

Yuka was ecstatic to hear about her son's abilities. Her being unable to see spirits had not deterred him from informing her of its existence.

He smiled softly at his family. He was a father.

The years went by; Uryu learned to walk and talk. He was a well-mannered child who reminded Ryuken of himself. The family enjoyed the peaceful quietness at home.

But the peace didn't last. It happened late October, less than a month before Uryu's fifth birthday. Ryuken was walking home from his office at the hospital when he heard the Hollow's roar. Frowning he made his way over to the source, ready to summon his bow at a moment's notice.

For a time, he had gone with ignoring his Quincy powers, but after Uryu was born, he realized the importance of protecting his family. In order to do that, he had (somewhat reluctantly) decided to follow his father's advice:

"_I have always had the idea of a battle plan in which both Quincy and Shinigami can fight without disrupting the balance of souls. The Quincies would be the first responders, arriving at the site quickly and ushering civilians to safety. It would be their job to keep the Hollow contained and away from anything it could harm until the Shinigami arrive and send it off to Soul Society.'_

It was one of the few teachings that Ryuken still believed in. Strategically it made sense. He had told Isshin about it back in college, who had agreed on the brilliance of the plan.

The Hollow in front of him was a thin, skittish thing with spindly little legs and a rather insect-like head. Its high-pitched screeching roar echoed off the glass walls of the surrounding buildings.

Looking around, Ryuken noted with relief that there didn't seem to be anyone around. He did a quick reiatsu scan, finding nothing. Now he just had to wait until the local Shinigami came.

Minutes passed, the hollow hadn't moved much. Instead it simply tottered around, sniffing the air. It looked a couple times in Ryuken's direction, but didn't attack.

The Shinigami was nowhere to be seen.

Ryuken was contemplating the pros and cons of taking matters into his own hands, when the hollow suddenly let out a shriek and charged. Snapping back to focus, he was surprised to see the Hollow running _away_ from him.

The Hollow screeched again as a sickening snapping sound echoed through the air.

The Quincy's heart sank, the Hollow hadn't really been running from him, but _towards_ something– or someone– else.

'_Odd. I didn't feel any spiritual–'_ His thoughts cut off as he saw the scene before him.

Sliding off the end of the Hollow's spiked leg, was Yuka.

His heart stopped. The world stopped. Everything stopped.

He never even felt himself draw back his bowstring.

The Hollow disappeared into black nothingness.

He ran to his wife's side. Her body lay bleeding a couple yards away, a disgusting hole torn through her chest and shoulder. Her detached soul was lying in a steadily-growing pool of blood. The hollow's attack had shattered her already frail Chain of Fate, and his blood froze in horror as the metal plate on her chest fractured and began to split.

'_No no no no no no nonononono...'_

Tears were flowing down his face as he held her close.

"Ryuken..." Her voice was weak, her shaky hand rested against his back in a feeble attempt to return the embrace.

He had always hated lying. In his opinion, the worst kind of lies were those that gave the illusion of hope. As a doctor, he'd often found himself needing to be brutally honest. It always hurt more when a parent would reassure their sick and dying child that they were ok; it often lead to them insisting to the doctors that their child would be fine, trying to defy the contrary truth.

It was so much easier for everyone if the facts were accepted as they are.

Or so he thought.

"It's ok..." He whispered softly. "It's ok... you'll be alright... everything will be fine... Please... _please_..."

He pressed his face into her dark hair, trying to make that moment last forever.

Silent sobs wracked his body

"Ryuken? ...Look at me?" She rested a hand on the side of his face, he placed his hand on top of hers. Her frame spasmed as the chain rattled, breaking away more and more every second.

He cursed. _'Where in the world is that darn Shinigami?! Why am I so useless to help!? WHY!?'_

"T-take care of Uryu. Tell him that mommy will be with him, watching him."

"N-no... don't- don't say it like that..." He could barely choke out the words.

"I love you, Ryuken... so much..." Her hand ran soothingly through his silver hair.

She cringed as the metal plate cracked again, the strain of it all visible on her thin, pale, face. Ryuken held her close, hoping– _wishing_– that the strength of his arms would be able to hold her soul together.

He cursed the Hollow that had done this, cursed his own hesitation, cursed the Shinigami for being late (_'Where are they!?'_), cursed the sky, the world, everything.

He would have traded in his Spirit Bow and useless 'Quincy Pride' for a Zanpakuto in a heartbeat if he could've.

"We'll see eachother again." She placed her lips against his in an ever-so-slight kiss; lighter than a butterfly's wing. "I love you."

There was a horrid cracking sound.

Her screams tore at Ryuken's ears, shredding his heart.

He wanted to keep holding her, but the energy blasting off of her was too great.

He turned away, unable to watch.

The screams stopped. The air around him was thick with Hollow energy.

Reluctantly, Ryuken turned back. There was a Hollow in front of him. He didn't even notice what it looked like. He couldn't. He wouldn't allow himself to actually look at it.

The Hollow roared and started charging.

He couldn't move. The bow was held loosely in his hand.

"_Shinigami are helpful..."_

His mind flashed back to college, to the night he formally met Isshin as a Shinigami.

"_...they purify what we, as Quincies, can only destroy."_

The sword had struck at the last second.

"_We Quincies can only destroy."_

The Hollow was almost on top of him, its mouth agape.

"_Quincies can only destroy."_

The sword wasn't coming this time.

"_We'll see eachother again."_

'_I'm sorry.'_

The Hollow disappeared into black dust.

Never in his life did he curse his Quincy powers more than in that moment.

His breath came in ragged gasps. Numb from shock and terror, Ryuken couldn't think.

There were footsteps, hurried and frantic, coming his way.

Isshin looked at his pitiful friend, staring with dead eyes at Yuka's mangled corpse. He stood behind his Ryuken, saying nothing. There was nothing to say.

The first emotion Ryuken felt was anger– no, not anger– rage. Pure, blinding rage. He launched himself at Isshin in his fury, grabbing the front of the man's shirt with both hands.

"_YOU!_" He yelled hysterically. "Why!? You should have _been here!_ The Shinigami could have saved her! You could have saved her! No one was here and now she's–!" His voice quickly degraded into sobs and wails of sorrow.

Isshin simply stood there. "I couldn't have done anything more than you..." he whispered, unsure if the Quincy had even heard him. "My powers have been sealed away for a few years now. They're gone. I couldn't see a spirit if I tried..."

The two men stood for a while, unmoving.

The bright sun shone beautifully as it set.

Ryuken didn't remember how he got home, only that he suddenly found himself at his house, Isshin pouring him a glass of something. Uryu peered nervously at him from the kitchen door, not understanding what was happening.

He didn't sleep for days.

Time marched forward and Ryuken became withdrawn and cold, distancing himself from the world. His father, Soken, took it upon himself to care for Uryu.

Ryuken was not happy to learn that the old man was training his son and preaching to him the values of 'Quincy Pride'. His own Quincy Star that he had once worn around his wrist was locked away in a box, never to be used again.

'_What pride can be found in a power like this?'_

In desperation, he threw himself into his work; his job at the hospital became his life. Every free second was spent researching and studying. His efforts were rewarded with promotions and certificates, but none of them mattered to him.

Some time later, Ryuken didn't exactly know when, he received news that Masaki had passed away. He met up with Isshin shortly after hearing the news. It had been a while since he had met his old acquaintance. Isshin was tired and worn, his two daughters constantly fighting back tears. The orange-haired boy sat alone, staring at the floor, a hollow look in his eyes.

Ryuken offered his sincerest condolences.

Isshin thanked him for his sympathy.

It was all very formal.

By the time Uryu was eight, his grandfather had more-or-less taken the boy into his own home as Ryuken had preoccupied himself with his own work.

He scolded the boy, forbade him from visiting his grandfather, but Uryu refused to listen.

The question came suddenly: "Father, why do you hate being a Quincy so much?"

Ryuken paused, looking at the boy. His mind reached back to that horrid day that he tried to never remember; his own weakness, the unspeakable deed he had committed.

He couldn't tell his son the truth, the boy wouldn't understand. He himself still didn't understand. The Quincies were blinded by their own pride. Shinigami were unreliable.

"_Why do you hate being a Quincy so much?"_

'_Because that's what killed her.'_

His voice was cold. "You can't make a living from it."

-[Epilogue]-

Two years later, Soken was attacked by a gang of Hollows. He died before the Shinigami could reach him.

Ryuken himself once again buried himself in his work; blocking out the outside world. Having become a top doctor and manager, there was no shortage of details that needed his attention.

That's not to say he didn't notice when his son challenged Isshin's boy by stupidly flooding the city with Hollows, or when Uryu mysteriously disappeared to Soul Society only to return weeks later, tired and powerless.

He noticed. And was disappointed.

'_Let the Shinigami deal with the dead.'_

Then, something changed. Ryuken saw the glint in the boy's eye, the determination to save his friend that had been taken captive in Hueco Mundo. WIth a heavy sigh, Ryuken picked up his bow for the first time in years.

'_Focus on saving the living, Uryu.'_

Inoue Orihime was her name.

'_Fight for your own personal reasons.'_

She certainly gave his son a reason to fight: a justification.

He stepped out into the night in search of his wayward child.

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><p>Isshin's Story will hopefully be posted soon, and I'll have to see if you people would like me to write a little chapter about Masaki.<p>

Thanks for reading.

Comments, critiques, and questions are always appreciated.


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